Automobile-top.



J. E. TABER.

AUTOMOBILE TIOP. APPLICATION mp0 mzc.21.1914.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET Jfin Z Taber J. E. TABER.

AUTOMOBILE TQP. APPLICATION FILED 050.21. 1914.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ZOE/2:556 I JOHN E. TABEB. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

AUTOMOBILE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,272.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. TABER, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autom obile-Tops, -of which the following is a 'elen'ient 0 specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in automobile tops and particularly to a construction whereby the top proper, which is generally of the usual design, may in folded condition disappear and be completely housed within the rear portion of the automobile, remaining at all times accessible when desired to be elevated.

The invention generallystated consists in forming the rear portion of the body so as to provide a receivingchamber practically coextensive with the rear seat, that portion of the chamber directly in rear of the seat beingof less depth than thd portions of the chamber at the sides of theseat, the top proper formed to receive a removable coveringto,

-- conceal all parts.

The invention in the preferred form of details .will 'be described in the following specification, reference being had par-tronlarly to the accompanying draw1ngs,,1n

which:

. Figure 1 is a view inelevatlon showing an automobile with the top inextendedrelation and shown partly folded in dotted 40 outline. Fig. 2 is anenlarged broken elevation showing the top completely housed in the body. Fig. 3 is a.,br0'ken plan illustrating particularly the receiving chamber for the top.v Fig.4 is a similar view illustrating the cover. Fig. 5 isa detail showi-ng means for normally maintaining the cover in elevated position. I ig. 6 is abroken perspective of the main how.

Incarrying out the present improvement I contemplate that the top proper aside fromthe specific details hereinafter noted I may be of any appropriate, design or form,

and that while the following description is more or less specific for convenience no limitations with resp'ecthtothe top form is-intended thereby. r i i In the present invention I have shown the top, as comprising the usual cover portion 1, and rear curtain 2, the cover portion be ing supported on a forward how 3 and a rear or main bow 4:. The extreme forward end of the cover portion is directly connected to a brace how 5 which near its forward end is removably connected or supported with relation to the wind shield 6, the rear end of the brace bow being removably secured in ears 7 carried by the forward how 3', through which connection the how 5 is in bracing position, the rear end of said brace bow being adapted to be seated in ears 8 near the lower end of the forward how 3 when it is desired to fold the top. The forward how 3 is formed at its lower end with means 9 whereby it may be removably connected to the .body in properposition, that is adjacent the forward seat of the vehicle. The main how a: is provided with a diagonal brace how 10 reaching from the lower end of the main bow to the extreme rear end of the cover 1, the lower end of the brace how 10 being pivotally con nected at 1.1 to the main bow to permit rela tive folding movement. The main bow is also provided adjacent the connection 11 with a bracket 12 forming ears in which the connecting members of the forward how 3 may be placed and temporarily retained when thesections are in folded relation.

The rear portion of the tonneau particularly that following the outline of the rear seat is formed of spaced walls 13 and 14 so as to provide a, chamber 15 between them. On the sides the space or chamber 15 thus formed for the reception of the top is coextensive with the height of thelbody while throughout the rear portion or length of the seat the chamber thus formed is but a portion of the height of the body, as clearly shown at 16, Fig. 2. Guide strips 17 are secured on the relatively inner walls 13 of the receiving space or chamber, said guide strips curving downwardly and forwardly,

with their upper ends adjacent the. upper edge of the wall, and their lower ends spaced from the bottom of the chamber. The guide strips are spaced practically throughout their full lengths from the wall and the lower ends of the main how 4.- are each provided with an extension having a lateral eye 18 which slidably embraces the guide strips 17.

Patented Feb. 29. H916. v

' The nain how when in extended cover plates 19 having connected pull rods 20 ex- 3 vide each veniently With the parts arranged as shown in fig.

1 in full lines, the top is extended. When it is desired to fold the-same the forward bow 3 is released from the connection'9, the brace bow 5 released from its forward connection and the said forward bow and bracebow carried rearwardlyand the lower ends of the forward bow connected in the e'ars'12. The rear ends of the brace how 5 are disconnected from the ears 7 and moved downwardly and connected with the ears '8 thus folding the bracebow 5 against the forward how. The pull rods 20 are operated and the main ,bow released so that the main bow with all connected parts gravitated within. the chamber 15, the

lower end of the main bow following the guide rods 17 proper which of course has folded between thev bows is during this movement of the bows housed in the rear portion 16 of the chamber, as clearly showninFig. 2.

Preferably the upper'edge of the walls 13 v and 14.- are provided at appropriate intervals with members'21 of suitable fastening elements, the cooperating members 22 of which are carried upon-the cover strip-23 which is thus secured to bridge the space between and cover thewalls. thus effectively concealing the top when in lowered position. The forward edge of the cover strip 23 is recessed at 24 topermit the passage therebow 4, so

through of the lower portion of the main that after the top is extended the cover strip may be applied to conceal the chamber, as will be obvious.

, entirely disappear Copies of this patent may be obtained for From the above description it will be ap-' parent that 'I have provided a top and co-' chamber with the parts so coordi operating nating that in folded relation the top will within and be concealed in said chamber, the arrangement being such however that the the chamber being ceiving portion The cover connected to the guide rods,

{terminating at a point materially ward inclination,

top is as readily accessiblefive cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

for extension from said chamber as from its v v usual folded position in rear of the body.

lVhat is claimed is 1...A vehicle having a body formed in part of spaced walls to provide a receiving chamber, the rear portion of said chamber being of less depth-than the front portion, a vehicle top including a cover and supporting bows, guide,rods arranged in the front portion of said receiving chamber, means for slldably connecting the bows rods,'the lower ends of the guide rods terminating adjacent the bottom of the front portion of thereceiving chamber, the rear portion of said chamber receiving the cover and connected parts of the bows, whereby the bows are .held within the receiving chamber at a downward and forward inclination.

2. A vehicle having a bodyformed in part of spaced walls to provide a receiving chamber, a vehicle top including a cover and sup: porting bows, the cover receiving portion of of less depth than the remaining portion, and guide rods arranged in the chamber in advance of the cover rethere'of, said bows being slidably connected to the guide rods, the guide rods curving downwardly and forwardly and terminating at a point materially'belo'w the cover receiving. portion of the chamber to maintain the bows at a for ward and downward inclination.

A vehicle havinga body formed in part.

I of spaced walls to provide a receiving chamber, a vehicle top including a cover and supporting bows, the cover receiving portion of ing portion thereof, said bows being slidably' curving. downwardly and forwardly and cover receiving portion of the chamber to maintain the bows at a forward and downthe minimum distance beto said guide u i t the gu1de rodsbelow the I tween the guide rods and cover receiving portion of the chamber being less than the maximum length of the bows.

In testimony whereofI afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.- JOHN TABER.

Witnesses Gnonon A. KURTZ, Gnonon J. OL'rsoI-r'.

fcommissioner of Patents, 

